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Chapter 2 When she entered the restroom, at first it appeared to be empty. She glanced around a minute before offering a tentative, "Hello." "Sara, thank you for meeting me." A figure exited a stall, but the voice startled Sara; it wasn't that of a teenage boy. "Do I know you?" With a swift movement the cap was removed and Sara was looking into the vivid green eyes of a woman. "Yes, Veronica Donovan, Lincoln's attorney we met-" "Veronica," Sara interrupted her. "Of course, I just didn't… uh… recognize you." "I shaved my head." "Yes, you did." "It's been a rough two weeks," Veronica understated. "So you're in touch…" Sara left the question hanging there. "Yes." "They're alive?" "Yes." Sara released a pent up breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I'm glad. But that's all I want to know and I can't talk to you anymore. I'm in enough trouble as it is and I want to put this whole thing behind me. "I understand that, I do. Michael said-" Sara's eyes flashed and now that she knew he was alive, her anger got the better of her and she spoke gruffly. "I don't give a damn about anything that he says. Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie and I don't want to hear anymore. I… I can't hear anymore." With unshed tears of anger and betrayal stinging the back of her eyes, Sara turned her back quickly and walked towards the door. "I was going to say that he forbid me from coming to you for help." Veronica offered quickly, desperate to keep the woman in the room talking to her. That halted Sara's retreat, but she didn't turn around. Her heart was in her throat when she asked, "He did?" "He feels terrible that you were involved in the first place and-" Sara held up a hand and turned back to the other woman. "Save it. I'm still feeling rather immune to his protestations about not wanting to involve me." "Sara, I'm not here asking for help for Michael." Veronica unzipped the loose wind breaker she was wearing to reveal a blood soaked shirt. Sara's eyes went wide with horror and she immediately went into doctor mode. "Oh my god, are you hurt?" "It's not my blood. It's Lincoln's. He needs a doctor or I'm not sure he's going to make it." Several panicked tears escaped the corner of Veronica's eyes and trailed down her cheeks, but she ignored them. She knew it was incredibly manipulative for her to have put on Lincoln's blood stained shirt, but she'd had a feeling Sara Tancredi would be unable to say no in the face of irrefutable evidence of how badly she was needed. "Michael thinks I'm out getting some mob doctor. A name he was given by Abruzzi some time ago, but the mob threatened to kill me and they did kill my co-counsel, so I'm not so much about trusting a mob doctor right now." "Maybe if that's what Michael thinks is best, that's your best bet." Sara shook her head, if she was pulled into helping them, then she was in. That was a serious crime and there was no way out. "Michael's not thinking straight. The mob wants him for some information he has. It's why they killed Nick. That's why I've come to you." Veronica put her hand on the other women's arm and looked imploringly into her eyes. "Sara, Lincoln didn't kill Terrence Steadman, because Terrence Steadman is not dead. He's alive. I've seen him with my own two eyes and it almost cost me my life. In fact the only reason I'm still here is that they think I'm dead. This is a conspiracy to end all conspiracies and I promise you these are two men who don't deserve what's happening to them. Lincoln desperately needs help and right now you're his only hope." Sara took a long look at the other woman; shaved head, tear stained face and blood soaked shirt. She looked like she had been to hell and back. And Sara knew if she followed her she would end up on that same road to hell, but it wasn't in her nature to sit idly by when someone needed help and she could do something. Besides despite her best protestations and her best efforts to the contrary she was drawn to the situation, to these men, to him. As a doctor… as a woman, she couldn't turn her back. So she made a decision that would probably alter the course of her life. With a deep breath she asked, "What do you want me to do?" *** "I assume that the FBI is keeping an eye on you." Veronica said as they prepared to leave the restroom. "Me? Why?" "Well, actually, in case this very thing happens and you're able to lead them to Lincoln and Michael." Veronica stated practically. It made sense. Especially, since she'd been under suspicion for purposely leaving the door open. Because she'd had a "thing" for Michael Scofield. At least that's what they'd accused her of when she'd first woken up-- having a thing for him. It had been true, of course, but she'd thought she'd done a better job of hiding it. And if they believed that, it would make sense that they were watching her. Veronica continued, "Leave here and act normally. Go home. Is there a back way out of your place?" What was she getting herself into? "Um… my building has a back entrance to an alley." "Do you have one of those light timers?" "Light timers? Yeah… uh…" Sara reached up to rub her temple. "I had one for my Christmas tree." "Good, set that to a lamp so that your lights will go off tonight. Make it look like you're home. Then grab anything you might need, any medical supplies that you have at home. Go out the alley and I'll pick you up." Sara was nodding trying to take it all in. With this cloak and dagger routine, it made it all too obvious that she was committing a crime and not just fulfilling the obligation she felt as a doctor to help an injured person. "And, Sara…" Veronica looked at her sincerely. "Yeah?" "Thank you." *** The cloak and dagger had gone off without a hitch. Sara had gone home and parked in her regular spot. Once in her apartment she'd followed instructions as well as changed into jeans, running shoes and a fitted, long sleeved black T-shirt. She'd also taken a page from Veronica's book. Well not quite that drastic. But she had grabbed a Northwestern baseball cap and twisted her long auburn hair into a knot so that it all stayed under the cap. On a whim she'd also packed extra clothes as well. Veronica had promised that she would bring her back by morning, but things didn’t always go according to plan. The entire time she kept her mind on the fact that this was about saving a man's life and tried not to think about the fact that in a very short time she'd be seeing Michael Scofield again. *** When Veronica picked her up right on schedule, Sara got in quickly and then ducked down. A position she stayed in until they were out of the city. She peaked between the seats of the car into the backseat, which contained several grocery sacks and a Styrofoam cooler. "You went shopping?" Since the coffee shop, Veronica had lost the baseball hat and now had a dark scarf wound almost fashionably around her head and was wearing large dark sunglasses. "Some ice, food and there are gallon jugs of water in the trunk. I got a bunch. There's no water where we're going and I figured you might need some." "I'm going to need more than just water." Sara replied worriedly. "Other medical supplies, depending on his injuries. That is if I'm even able to help him. He might need surgery." Veronica took a halting breath. The thought that Sara might not be able to help Lincoln threaten to crush her. But they'd come too far to quit now. "We'll worry about it once you see Lincoln's injuries." Once they were out of the city and Sara was seated, she heard the whole story. How Veronica had found Terrence Steadman. How she'd gotten more than she'd bargained for when Terrence Steadman wasn't alone. How she'd been chased. How they'd thought she'd fallen off a cliff. How she'd shorn her hair for disguise to get out of Montana and how she'd finally met up with Michael and a newly injured Lincoln that morning. She also gave Sara a description of Lincoln's injuries, although Veronica wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten them. Sara's head was spinning at everything Veronica had just told her. The more she heard about the situation, the scarier it got. It seemed the people who were framing Lincoln would stop at nothing and had no qualms about killing anyone who got in their way. But an even larger fear had come to take root in her psyche over the last hour, a fear that her father was somehow involved at the ground floor of the conspiracy. Her father's name was still being mentioned for Vice President. But now it wasn't as a running mate to Caroline Reynolds, it was as a nominee for the spot vacated by now President Reynolds. Sara's stomach churned at the myriad implications of the whole sick mess. "Where is this place we're going? Is it safe?" Sara asked with worry lacing her every word. "It's a cabin in the middle of nowhere and it belonged to Nick's father. Nick…" there was a catch in Veronica's voice when she said his name, "…is dead, as is his father. They think I'm dead. They think Michael and Lincoln are in Mexico so there is no reason for anyone to look for us here." Sara paused trying to put the pieces of the ever widening puzzle together. "If the authorities think they left the country, why didn’t they? Why did they come back here?" "Unfinished business. Michael just wanted to get Lincoln out of the country, but Lincoln won't leave his son. And the only way for us to help LJ, is to clear Lincoln's name and expose this whole thing. We have to find Steadman again, and I think I've traced him to the area." *** The ride to the cabin had been one of outrageous revelations for Sara. But once arrived, a more pressing and unsettling prospect loomed in front of her. Sara steeled herself as she prepared to follow Veronica into the cabin. It was quite shocking to think that Michael was on the other side of the door. Her palms were a bit sweaty and she took deep breaths to try and calm her nerves. The thought of seeing him made her stomach churn at the same time that her heart did a little involuntary flip. She cursed the flip. She was furious at him and there was no way to calculate the humiliation she felt. She'd been so stupidly open to him. She cringed when she thought about the way she'd let him kiss her. No matter how much she'd wanted it, he'd been a patient and a convict. A double no-no. It was unfathomable the way he'd been able to get her to drop her guard. Con man indeed. When she entered, her eyes searched the dingy cabin. They immediately found what they were looking for. Michael Scofield stood at the far side of the room. Finding himself staring directly into Sara eyes, Michael felt several very conflicting emotions at once. The first was anger, anger that Veronica had ignored his edict. Anger that Sara was once again involved, which meant she was once again in danger. That was not part of the plan. The second was relief. Relief that someone was here to help Lincoln. Relief at seeing her. Relief that she was okay. The third emotion was an odd sense of comfort just being in her presence. During those harsh weeks in prison she had been his main source of reprieve. She'd healed him and soothed him and just looking at her brought those feelings back. The fourth was a spark of attraction that he could neither help nor deny. The one huge deviation from his original plan had been developing very real feelings for the good doctor. But now he shoved all that aside and focused on the anger. "What is she doing here?" Michael asked Veronica in his usual controlled manner, but his intense gaze never left Sara as he spoke. "Lincoln needed help." Veronica replied brusquely as she moved past him towards the bedroom and Lincoln, leaving Michael and Sara to face off against one another. Sara felt her heart swimming in her chest as she took him in. For self preservation she didn't meet his intense gaze. She'd always felt he could see directly into her soul when he pinned her with it. Instead, she forced herself into clinical mode and ran her eyes up and down his form. He'd been on the run for nearly two weeks and he definitely looked worse for the wear. Currently, most of his body was covered with clothing, but she could see that his hands had a number of fresh-looking cuts and scraps. After she helped Lincoln, if she could help Lincoln, she'd patch Michael up the best she could and then be on her way. After all that's what she did. She healed. "What are you doing here?" Michael broke the silence and spoke directly to Sara this time. "Saving your brother's life. Again. Your welcome." Sara replied matter-of-factly as she brushed by him and entered the bedroom after Veronica. TBC… |
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